Polyurethane foam blocks: reviews, description, characteristics

One of the most pressing problems of Russian car owners is often a failing suspension, for which it is worth saying "thanks" to bad roads. In most cases, after such trips, urgent intervention in the "interior" of the car is required because of incomprehensible knocking. One of the most likely causes is a failed silicone block. This, of course, is not the most pleasant thing that can happen to a car, but it is completely correctable.

So, what is this - silentblock? Why is it intended, why it breaks down? And most importantly - what kind of buy silicone block: polyurethane or rubber?

Purpose and causes of breakdowns

In fact, the silentblock is the connecting element between the individual parts of the suspension. It is designed to eliminate vibrations and give the car a soft and steady course.

The construction of the silentblock is a hinge made of two metal bushes and either a polyurethane or rubber insert, in function of which the absorption of the suspension impacts is included. The main reason for the failure of the part is, as a rule, breakage of the rubber or polyurethane part - it is more than the other components that are subject to aging, wear and deformation. The maximum negative effect on silent blocks is caused by chemical and temperature influences that reduce the life of the part several times and, as a consequence, lead to the necessity of its regular replacement.

How to check silent blocks?

Average service life of silent blocks is on the average 100 000 kilometers of run. However, given the Russian roads and conditions, it is advisable to carry out diagnostics twice as often - every 50,000 kilometers of run. Determine whether the silentblock has worn out or not, it's quite simple - you need to listen to the car. The deterioration of the response to management, too heavy a course, the delay in turning the rudder - clear signs that the hinges will have to be changed. To make sure of the need for a replacement, it is advisable to carry out diagnostics in a car workshop.

Visual inspection is carried out on the inspection pit by testing the dirt-cleaned silentblock. Rubber or polyurethane sleeves must not have any damage or rupture. Indirect evidence of a malfunction of such a detail is a change in the collapse-convergence, if previously it was correct. If there are breaks of the silentblocks, the levers may not be much, but go to the sides.

It is also advisable to check the backlash and, if the parameter is too high, replace the parts.

Untimely replacement of faulty silent blocks can cause the car to move to the side at high speed. An indication of the malfunction is also the uneven wear of the tires. They can cause the destruction of the mounting seats of the hinges, which may lead to the need to replace the front suspension arm.

Which set of silentblocks should I choose to replace?

Literally a few years ago the question of exactly what kind of silentblocks to put, did not even arise from car owners. All quietly bought rubber and used them. However, recently, with the development of technologies, a novelty appeared - silicone blocks of polyurethane. Reviews about them are positive. Many install them on their cars. What are their advantages and what is the choice of the silicone block - polyurethane or rubber? What is the difference between the details?

Polyurethane silentblocks: pros and cons

Benefits:

• Increased resistance to high loads.
• In comparison with rubber analogues they have a longer service life.
• Increase the rigidity and assembly of the suspension. Often this improves maneuverability and controllability of the car.
• Resistant to temperatures and their differences. Rubber analogues are afraid of too high and low temperatures, while polyurethane does not crack and does not crack.
• Resistant to aggressive environments, are not afraid of the impact of petroleum products, reagents and other substances destructively affecting the rubber.

The disadvantages of polyurethane silentblocks:

• Increased stiffness. Not every car is too rigid suspension - it's good. Often this can only lead to discomfort in management.
• Increased stiffness of the suspension can lead to deformation of body parts, shock absorbers and chassis. Silentblocks are polyurethane, the reviews confirm this, sometimes they contribute to the fact that the shock absorbers are flowing or the bottom fastening of the rack is broken.
• Price. Compared with rubber analogs, polyurethane cost 4-5 times more, while you can buy non-original spare parts, the life of which is under great question.
• Despite the high strength of polyurethane and its ability to withstand high loads, it can not withstand twisting, which is one of the main reasons for its deformation.

Three reasons to buy rubber silent blocks

1. Habit. Most cars are manufactured from the factory with rubber parts, during operation with them there is no trouble.
2. Softness. Polyurethane bushes are more rigid, so for fans of a soft and comfortable ride, they will not work.
3. The cost. The price of rubber silent blocks is much lower than for polyurethane ones.

Three Reasons to Acquire Polyurethane Silentblocks

1. Reliability. High strength, minimum requirements for operation, greater resistance to various impacts.
2. Long service life.
3. Security. Improves maneuverability, dynamics and controllability of the car.

How to pick up silent blocks for the car?

In the design of the suspension of modern models of cars include rubber-metal hinges, called silentblocks and located on both the rear and front levers of the wheels, subframe mountings, jet rods and stabilizers.

All listed auto parts VAZ are an expendable material and require regular replacement depending on the mileage of the car. With the condition of using the classic silentblock on domestic roads, it is able to serve at least 100 000 kilometers of run, but it is advisable to carry out technical inspection and diagnostics every 30 thousand. To determine whether replacement hinges require, you can by the following features:

1. At visual inspection, deformation of the elastic insert is noticeable.
2. The car swaying in different directions creaks.
3. During the movement in the cabin, you hear a knock on the suspension.
4. Rubber wears out unevenly.

If any of the above signs appear and full diagnostics are performed, the silentblocks will change, if required. It can be done both independently and in a car service where there is a necessary equipment and a lift or an inspection pit. If you change yourself, you can face certain difficulties, especially if there are no suitable tools and there are no skills on how to press a silentblock.

In the automotive parts markets, you can find polyurethane silentblocks "Nissan" from different manufacturers. Despite the fact that most of the details are original, one can also face a substandard fake, the installation of which will lead to its replacement after a while.

As already mentioned, the silicone blocks are polyurethane, reviews about which are mostly positive, could gain popularity among car owners. Such products are characterized by increased durability and less susceptible to wear, although the pros and cons definitely need to be considered.

The long operational life of the silicone blocks is explained by their ability to retain elasticity, elasticity and strength even under the condition of high loads and deformations. In addition, polyurethane is resistant to temperature effects without loss of physical and chemical properties.

The structural features of the polymer several times increase the service life of polyurethane silicone blocks, unlike classical rubber analogs. They are able to withstand heavy operating conditions for a long time without losing their characteristics.

Rubber hinges are less expensive than those made of polymers, but their service life is several times less.

The most high-quality silent blocks and other suspension parts are manufactured by HANSE, TOCHKA OPORY and LYNX: products are made only from high-quality materials using innovative technologies. They have a long service life, strength, resistance to mechanical wear, uneven physical loads and temperature differences ranging from -45 to +50 degrees.

What you need to know before buying parts

Depending on the specific brand and model of the car, the sizes of the silent blocks will also change. Therefore, in order to acquire a suitable part, it is necessary not only to know the year of production of the car, but also the number of its body. In addition, the size of the rubber blocks, their inner and outer diameter and the length of the part play an important role.

Almost all parameters can be recognized without removing the spare part, however, with an internal diameter, problems may arise. The fact is that many parts have special bushings designed to reduce wear. For this reason, during the selection of the silentblocks, these errors are taken into account without fail.

Before choosing which polyurethane silentblocks are better, it is advisable to get acquainted with the companies that manufacture them. The most high-quality auto parts of VAZ and other auto brands are produced by such companies as Lemforder, Mood, Corteko and Boge.

Installation and crimping

The lever is inserted with a certain effort. Simply it can not be installed - it is necessary to use a special press available at the service station or a set of tools with which you can make the procedure yourself.

To understand how to press a silentblock, you need to obtain minimal information about its structure and acquire the necessary tools. The procedure itself is simple: first remove the old part, cleanse the seat on the lever and press a new one. Remove polyurethane is easy, but over the metal part will have to work hard.

To remove the polyurethane silicone block of the front lever, it is necessary to carefully cut the metal part with a jig saw and knock it out with a hammer. It should not be thrown away - it may be needed later.

The landing site is cleaned of sharp edges and burrs. The surface must be perfectly smooth and even. If there is no external metal clip in the new silentblock, then it is lubricated either with special grease or with a soap solution.

After that, proceed to pressing the silentblock. The simplest option is to use a sledge hammer to drive the bushing back into place. However, this method requires skill and accuracy: it is easy to damage not only the sawnboard block, for example, but also the beam itself.

What is the difference between polyurethane and rubber?

Many motorists are installing on their cars bushings, support stabilizers and rubber blocks from rubber. This is explained by a small price for such products and an acceptable lifespan, provided all requirements are met. Rubber parts can serve about 50-100 thousand kilometers of run if the car does not participate in races and is not used for driving on dirt roads or impassability.

Polyurethane silent blocks, the pros and cons of which are known to many motorists, are able to withstand heavier operating conditions. For this reason, they are often used in cars participating in racing, when ride comfort is moved to the last place in order to manage the car. The life of such parts is longer by several times, because the polymer is less prone to wear and abrasion, unlike rubber.

Silentblocks polyurethane reviews do not always get positive - you can meet car owners, dissatisfied with the installation of such parts. As a rule, the reason for possible malfunctions is the purchase of a substandard product in an attempt to save money. In addition, spare parts can be installed incorrectly without contacting a service center.

As a result of improper installation, polyurethane parts require replacement after 20-50 thousand kilometers of run, while their average service life is 80-100 thousand.

The polyurethane suspension also has its weak points. The density of the polymer rises when the ambient temperature drops below 20 degrees, which leads to its deformation at higher loads. Silentblocks and stabilizer bushings will work properly only if the entire suspension is working. If there are any faults, the life of parts is reduced several times.

Installation of polyurethane parts is much more complicated than rubber parts, which is associated with their increased strength. In addition, the price for them is slightly higher than for the ones produced from rubber.

Conditions for prolonged use of silentblocks

Parts made of polyurethane will last long, provided certain requirements are met:

• Acquisition of high quality products only from reliable manufacturers.
• Carrying out a major overhaul of the suspension simultaneously with the replacement of the silent blocks.
• Installation of new parts using special equipment.
• Polyurethane support is treated with silicone grease or lithol.
• Regular check of the suspension and its parts.
• Operation of the car at an ambient temperature of at least -20 degrees.

Products made of polyurethane

The technology of production of automotive parts from rubber and polyurethane is significantly different. For this reason, spare parts made of polymer can be of different shapes. Special processing of the material allows to improve the strength of the connection with the metal parts, which allows to increase the operational characteristics of the finished parts. Products made from polyurethane are widely used in the automotive industry.

The cost of such products is several times higher than that of rubber analogs, which is explained by the complexity and resource intensity of the production technology. For this reason, polymer parts can not replace rubber everywhere, despite this, polyurethane is widely used in areas where the quality of materials is required.

Professional tuning of car suspension requires the use of parts that are distinguished by reliability, high quality and durability. Of course, changing the suspension of racing cars or SUVs only requires parts of increased strength and reliability, but polyurethane products can also be used in the suspension of a conventional car.

Suspension, made of polyurethane, improves the controllability of the car and the comfort of riding. High level of wear resistance, resistance to temperature differences have a positive effect on the dynamics of the machine, making it more convenient when driving. The parts made of polymer do not lose their strength at low temperatures, they are more resistant to wear during long loads.

Polyurethane silentblock, unlike rubber, are resistant to chemical agents used on roads, dirt and dust, which significantly extends the life of the car.

The behavior of the machine on the road is greatly improved due to the use of polyurethane parts. Silent blocks make it possible to reduce the deformation of the suspension and eliminate the "squeezing" effect, which is characteristic for rubber-made parts. Simply put, the car suspension will always work in only one mode, without experiencing unnecessary loads. Correctly selected and installed parts made of polyurethane reduce noise and vibration, absorb shocks much better than rubber analogues.